6 of the Best Videos to Actually Help You Understand Inflation

If you only have one spare minute to dedicate to the topic, this video is for you. Marketplace gets three experts to give their best 15-second explanation of what inflation is from different angles. Quick and easy-to-digest, this is a great video to help warm up your brain before you dive into the more in-depth explanations on our list.

First off, let me say that I have a bone to pick with any video that claims to be “under three minutes” but actually clocks in at 3 minutes and 28 seconds. With that off my chest, this is a simple, straightforward explainer. It’s composed of stock footage, so if you’re a visual learner looking for informative illustrations, this is not the video for you (but do keep scrolling to at least the next slide).

A major angle in this video is that while many people have a connotation that inflation is very bad, “inflation on its own is actually a necessary part of a functioning economy.” It’s true that the Federal Reserve targets a 2% annual inflation rate, believing gradual price increases help encourage economic activity. As you educate yourself on the topic, you can begin to form your own opinions.

If you like Concerning Reality’s straightforward explainer stylings, I recommend their “history of memes” video, as well.

Finally, some crisp animation for all my fellow visual learners out there. This explainer is from seven years ago, and has obviously only increased in relevance. At eight minutes long, this video is able to explore inflation with more detail than the first two videos on this list. Plus, the narrator’s British accent sure does help the information go down nice and easy.

This video stands out for diving into clear definitions of three reasons why we see inflation: cost-push inflation, demand inflation, and the printing of money. It then zooms out to explain the bigger picture, aka, what happens when not everything inflates at the exact same rate.

Be honest: Everyone has asked this question before. When it comes to national debt and the need for relief, there’s a natural response: Why not just print more money? The answer, according to most economists: inflation.

Allegedly, increasing the nation’s money supply would significantly devalue the dollar, leading to soaring inflation. More specifically, this five-minute video scratches the surface of the economic strategy of quantitative easing, where a central bank purchases bonds in order to boost the economy. The TED-Ed brand is a titan among explainer videos, so you really can’t go wrong here.

Now that you’ve gained a more thorough understanding of why inflation happens, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. What does inflation mean for your personal finances? As we’ve previously covered, inflation forces us to be more intentional with our spending. This 17-minute video delves into more concrete tips to deal with the rising costs around food, cars, housing, and more.

As the “Debt Free Millennials” name suggests, this video is targeted toward the generation working to pay off massive debts, buy their first home, and start a family. Unfortunately, the main takeaway of all the tips in this video comes down to personal sacrifice. With inflation out of our control, all that’s left within our control is how well we can budget.

If you’re like me, you find it far easier to retain and regurgitate information when it’s wrapped up in jokes. Last Week Tonight is perhaps the most revered name in the comedy-journalism (or journalism-comedy?) genre. And in true John Oliver fashion, this segment wraps up with a bonkers stunt about “the smartest investment of all time.” I don’t want to spoil it, but Oliver does scream out that he is the “Warren Buffet of frogs.” Give it a watch.